NEW DELHI: It is well known that AI-use in medicine can improve diagnosis and disease management. But a new study published in Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology has raised concerns of a potential flip - the risk of deskilling of the clinician due to constant exposure to decision-support systems such artificial intelligence.
The study took place at four colonoscopy centres in Poland, where AI tools were introduced for detection of polyps or abnormal cells in the colon at the end of 2021.
The Lancet study revealed that the average rate of adenoma detection - or detection of non-cancerous cells that can turn cancerous - at non-AI assisted colonoscopies decreased from 28% before AI exposure to 22% after AI exposure, corresponding to a 20% relative and 6% absolute reduction in adenoma detection rate .
"To our knowledge this is the first study to suggest a negative impact of regular AI use on healthcare professionals' ability to complete a patient-relevant task in medicine of any kind. Our results are concerning given the adoption of AI in medicine is rapidly spreading. We urgently need more research into the impact of AI on health professional's skills across different medical fields. We need to find out which factors may cause or contribute to problems," said Dr Marcin Romarnczyk, Academy of Silesia (Poland), who was part of the study.
Author Yuichi Mori, University of Oslo, said the results posed an interesting question about previous randomised controlled trials that found AI-assisted colonoscopy enabled a higher adenoma detection rate. "It could be the case that non-AI assisted colonoscopy assessed in these trials is different from standard non-AI assisted colonoscopy as the endoscopists in the trials may have been negatively affected by continuous AI exposure," he added.
This study was funded by European Commission, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and Italian Association for Cancer Research.
The researchers point out that continuous exposure to decision-support systems such as AI might lead to the natural human tendency to over-rely on their recommendations, leading to clinicians becoming less motivated, less focused and less responsible.
Dr Vidur Mahajan, founder and CEO of CARPL.AI, a leading AI-platform, said one needs to focus on how an average doctor can get on a par with the best in the world, as opposed to thinking of how deskilling may occur as dependency on AI increases. "Technology is an inevitable part of our lives and we must embrace the advantages of it by enabling the democratisation of it. Imagine a world without Google maps - would you trust a driver who does not use it?" he said.
The study took place at four colonoscopy centres in Poland, where AI tools were introduced for detection of polyps or abnormal cells in the colon at the end of 2021.
The Lancet study revealed that the average rate of adenoma detection - or detection of non-cancerous cells that can turn cancerous - at non-AI assisted colonoscopies decreased from 28% before AI exposure to 22% after AI exposure, corresponding to a 20% relative and 6% absolute reduction in adenoma detection rate .
"To our knowledge this is the first study to suggest a negative impact of regular AI use on healthcare professionals' ability to complete a patient-relevant task in medicine of any kind. Our results are concerning given the adoption of AI in medicine is rapidly spreading. We urgently need more research into the impact of AI on health professional's skills across different medical fields. We need to find out which factors may cause or contribute to problems," said Dr Marcin Romarnczyk, Academy of Silesia (Poland), who was part of the study.
Author Yuichi Mori, University of Oslo, said the results posed an interesting question about previous randomised controlled trials that found AI-assisted colonoscopy enabled a higher adenoma detection rate. "It could be the case that non-AI assisted colonoscopy assessed in these trials is different from standard non-AI assisted colonoscopy as the endoscopists in the trials may have been negatively affected by continuous AI exposure," he added.
This study was funded by European Commission, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and Italian Association for Cancer Research.
The researchers point out that continuous exposure to decision-support systems such as AI might lead to the natural human tendency to over-rely on their recommendations, leading to clinicians becoming less motivated, less focused and less responsible.
Dr Vidur Mahajan, founder and CEO of CARPL.AI, a leading AI-platform, said one needs to focus on how an average doctor can get on a par with the best in the world, as opposed to thinking of how deskilling may occur as dependency on AI increases. "Technology is an inevitable part of our lives and we must embrace the advantages of it by enabling the democratisation of it. Imagine a world without Google maps - would you trust a driver who does not use it?" he said.
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